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Default Sorting multiple columns

Howdy everyone,

I'm having a problem in excel that I can't figure out, and I thought someone here might have a good solution.

Basically what I am trying to do, is take anywhere from 2-10ish columns of data, sort it, and have identical data lined up on the same row. The data will always be names.

For example....

The original data might look like:

Code:
     A       B        C        D
1  Bill    Chuck    Dave    Derek
2  Chuck   Bill     Derek    Dave
3  Jane    Jane     Fred    Murphy       
4  Jim     Murphy   Murphy  Chuck
5  Fred    Jim      Jane
6  Murphy  Derek    Jim
7  Dave             Chuck
8  Derek
Then after sorting it I'd like it to look like:

Code:
     A       B        C        D
1  Bill     Bill
2  Chuck    Chuck    Chuck    Chuck
3  Dave              Dave     Dave
4  Derek    Derek    Derek    Derek
5  Fred              Fred
6  Jane     Jane     Jane           
7  Jim      Jim      Jim
8  Murphy   Murphy   Murphy   Murphy
I can obviously sort each column one by one, and then drag it around to be lined up... but I didn't know if there was some simple function or macro that I wasn't aware of that would do what I want.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Last edited by Hexius : April 16th 06 at 08:54 PM
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Max
 
Posts: n/a
Default Sorting multiple columns

One way ..

Assuming source data in sheet: X
where the key* col is assumed col A
*i.e. col A contains the full list of all names

In another sheet: Y,

Copy paste col A from X into col A
Do a data sort ascending

Then place in B1:
=IF(ISNUMBER(MATCH($A1,X!B:B,0)),$A1,"")
Copy across to D1, fill down

Y will return the required results
--
Max
Singapore
http://savefile.com/projects/236895
xdemechanik
---
"Hexius" wrote in message
...

Howdy everyone,

I'm having a problem in excel that I can't figure out, and I thought
someone here might have a good solution.

Basically what I am trying to do, is take anywhere from 2-10ish columns
of data, sort it, and have identical data lined up on the same row. The
data will always be names.

For example....

The original data might look like:


Code:
--------------------
A B C D
1 Bill Chuck Dave Derek
2 Chuck Bill Derek Dave
3 Jane Jane Fred Murphy
4 Jim Murphy Murphy Chuck
5 Fred Jim Jane
6 Murphy Derek Jim
7 Dave Chuck
8 Derek
--------------------


Then after sorting it I'd like it to look like:


Code:
--------------------
A B C D
1 Bill Bill
2 Chuck Chuck Chuck Chuck
3 Dave Dave Dave
4 Derek Derek Derek Derek
5 Fred Fred
6 Jane Jane Jane
7 Jim Jim Jim
8 Murphy Murphy Murphy Murphy
--------------------


I can obviously sort each column one by one, and then drag it around to
be lined up... but I didn't know if there was some simple function or
macro that I wasn't aware of that would do what I want.

Thanks for any suggestions.


--
Hexius



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Posts: 2
Default

Thank you for the reply Max! While the method you suggested isn't exactly what I was looking for, it works great and will probably be what I wind up using. I'll have to tweak the way my excel sheet is set up a bit, but that is done easily enough.

Ideally, I would like to use a macro or script of some sort that I could just run once on the one sheet to have it automatically sort the columns.

Thanks for your suggestion though, it gets the job done!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Max
One way ..

Assuming source data in sheet: X
where the key* col is assumed col A
*i.e. col A contains the full list of all names

In another sheet: Y,

Copy paste col A from X into col A
Do a data sort ascending

Then place in B1:
=IF(ISNUMBER(MATCH($A1,X!B:B,0)),$A1,"")
Copy across to D1, fill down

Y will return the required results
--
Max
Singapore
http://savefile.com/projects/236895
xdemechanik
---
"Hexius" wrote in message
...

Howdy everyone,

I'm having a problem in excel that I can't figure out, and I thought
someone here might have a good solution.

Basically what I am trying to do, is take anywhere from 2-10ish columns
of data, sort it, and have identical data lined up on the same row. The
data will always be names.

For example....

The original data might look like:


Code:
--------------------
A B C D
1 Bill Chuck Dave Derek
2 Chuck Bill Derek Dave
3 Jane Jane Fred Murphy
4 Jim Murphy Murphy Chuck
5 Fred Jim Jane
6 Murphy Derek Jim
7 Dave Chuck
8 Derek
--------------------


Then after sorting it I'd like it to look like:


Code:
--------------------
A B C D
1 Bill Bill
2 Chuck Chuck Chuck Chuck
3 Dave Dave Dave
4 Derek Derek Derek Derek
5 Fred Fred
6 Jane Jane Jane
7 Jim Jim Jim
8 Murphy Murphy Murphy Murphy
--------------------


I can obviously sort each column one by one, and then drag it around to
be lined up... but I didn't know if there was some simple function or
macro that I wasn't aware of that would do what I want.

Thanks for any suggestions.


--
Hexius
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Posted to microsoft.public.excel.newusers
Max
 
Posts: n/a
Default Sorting multiple columns

Glad it helped !
Thanks for the feedback
--
Max
Singapore
http://savefile.com/projects/236895
xdemechanik
---
"Hexius" wrote in message
...

Thank you for the reply Max! While the method you suggested isn't
exactly what I was looking for, it works great and will probably be
what I wind up using. I'll have to tweak the way my excel sheet is set
up a bit, but that is done easily enough.

Ideally, I would like to use a macro or script of some sort that I
could just run once on the one sheet to have it automatically sort the
columns.

Thanks for your suggestion though, it gets the job done!



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